MEDIA INDONESIA – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) said he agreed with the idea to build special prison for terrorist prisoners based on fear of terrorist recruitments in prisons.

SBY made the statement in response to what Ansyaad Mbai, the chief of the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT), said during SBY’s visit to the BNPT de-radicalization facilities at the Indonesia Peace and Security Center (IPSC), Bogor District, West Java, yesterday.

However, President disagreed with the idea to build the special prison at the IPSC because the area was used for education and training purposes for peacekeeping forces and general forces. Such prison could bring up a new [terrorist] prone area.

To that end, President Yudhoyono called for a safer place to build. He also reminded that the prison should not be like Guantanamo Prison where the United States imprisons terrorists.

“The prison will not be like Guantanamo, obviously not. We support human rights. I believe, this is a good idea but we’ll think about the right location later, “said the President.

Earlier, Ansyad Mbai explained about the BNPT facilities, that there were 48 special prison cells for militant terrorist prisoners. Each cell could be occupied by three prisoners.

According to Mbai, the special prison intended for de-radicalization process was build based on the request from correctional institutions for fear of terrorist recruitments inside prisons.

Not only prisoners that could be recruited but also the wardens. To that end, according to Mbai, a lot of prison chiefs hoped to have the terrorist prisoners separated and placed in special prison. Mbai said, so far, the terrorist prisoners were being detained in 28 prisons.

According to the schedule, the terrorist prisoners would be placed in the 6.1 hectared-land allocated for the BNPT training center for the de-radicalization activities. Religious leaders and community leaders would be invited to be involved in the de-radicalization process. (Ant/P-5)